How much does an electric clothes dryer cost to run?
$11 a month
- A day of use
- $0.62
- An hour of running
- $0.62
- A year
- $130.06
3,400 W, one 1-hour load, 4 days a week, at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh (EIA, June 2026). How we calculate this
Change the watts, hours or rate
What it costs at other usage levels
| Use | A day | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour a day typical | $0.62 | $10.84 | $130.06 |
| 2 hours a day | $1.25 | $21.68 | $260.11 |
| 4 hours a day | $2.49 | $43.35 | $520.23 |
| 8 hours a day | $4.99 | $86.70 | $1,040.45 |
| 24 hours a day | $14.97 | $260.11 | $3,121.36 |
Models range from 1,800 W to 5,000 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 3,400 W, the middle of that range.
Ways to spend less
- Line-dry one load a week. Saves about $2.71 a month.
- Clean the lint filter every load and the vent duct once a year.
- Use the moisture-sensor setting instead of a fixed time.
- Dry loads back to back while the drum is still warm.
What an electric clothes dryer costs to run in every state
| Rank | State | Rate | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 13.1¢ | $7.75 | $92.97 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $7.83 | $93.96 |
| 3 | Utah | 13.4¢ | $7.90 | $94.81 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $7.97 | $95.66 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $8.31 | $99.78 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $8.34 | $100.13 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $8.34 | $100.13 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $8.43 | $101.12 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $8.47 | $101.62 |
| 10 | Idaho | 14.4¢ | $8.49 | $101.90 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $8.71 | $104.53 |
| 12 | Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $8.79 | $105.52 |
| 13 | Washington | 14.9¢ | $8.81 | $105.73 |
| 14 | New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $8.90 | $106.80 |
| 15 | Florida | 15.1¢ | $8.92 | $107.08 |
| 16 | Montana | 15.1¢ | $8.95 | $107.36 |
| 17 | Arizona | 15.2¢ | $8.97 | $107.65 |
| 18 | Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $9.01 | $108.07 |
| 19 | South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $9.08 | $108.92 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 15.5¢ | $9.13 | $109.56 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $9.19 | $110.27 |
| 22 | Kansas | 15.7¢ | $9.28 | $111.41 |
| 23 | Iowa | 15.9¢ | $9.41 | $112.97 |
| 24 | Texas | 15.9¢ | $9.42 | $113.04 |
| 25 | Missouri | 16.2¢ | $9.59 | $115.02 |
| 26 | Oregon | 16.3¢ | $9.64 | $115.73 |
| 27 | Georgia | 16.4¢ | $9.67 | $116.02 |
| 28 | Alabama | 16.4¢ | $9.69 | $116.30 |
| 29 | Colorado | 17.1¢ | $10.12 | $121.48 |
| 30 | Virginia | 17.2¢ | $10.18 | $122.11 |
| 31 | Indiana | 17.5¢ | $10.35 | $124.17 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $10.35 | $124.24 |
| 33 | Ohio | 19.2¢ | $11.34 | $136.08 |
| 34 | Delaware | 19.3¢ | $11.40 | $136.79 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $11.56 | $138.71 |
| 36 | Illinois | 19.9¢ | $11.75 | $141.05 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $12.84 | $154.10 |
| 38 | Maryland | 21.8¢ | $12.91 | $154.88 |
| 39 | Michigan | 23.0¢ | $13.59 | $163.03 |
| 40 | Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $14.37 | $172.46 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $14.41 | $172.96 |
| 42 | Vermont | 24.4¢ | $14.44 | $173.31 |
| 43 | New Jersey | 25.0¢ | $14.74 | $176.93 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $15.96 | $191.54 |
| 45 | Alaska | 28.2¢ | $16.67 | $200.05 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $17.27 | $207.28 |
| 47 | New York | 29.5¢ | $17.43 | $209.13 |
| 48 | Maine | 29.6¢ | $17.49 | $209.84 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $17.50 | $209.98 |
| 50 | California | 34.7¢ | $20.53 | $246.36 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 52.7¢ | $31.16 | $373.86 |
Questions
How much does it cost to run an electric clothes dryer per hour?
About $0.62 an hour. An electric clothes dryer at 3,400 W uses 3.40 kWh per hour, and at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh that comes to $0.62.
How much does an electric clothes dryer add to your electric bill?
Used one 1-hour load, 4 days a week, about $10.84 a month, or $130.06 a year.
How much does it cost to run an electric clothes dryer 24 hours a day?
Running nonstop, an electric clothes dryer would use 81.6 kWh a day and cost $14.97 a day, or $455.20 over an average month.
How many watts does an electric clothes dryer use?
Models range from 1,800 W to 5,000 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 3,400 W, the middle of that range. Check the label on yours: cost scales directly with watts, so a 20% lower wattage means a 20% lower bill.
Which state is cheapest to run an electric clothes dryer in?
Nevada, at 13.1¢ per kWh: $7.75 a month. The most expensive is Hawaii at 52.7¢ per kWh: $31.16 a month. Same appliance, same hours; only the rate differs.
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use (reproduces U.S. Department of Energy sample wattages)
- Penn State EGEE 102: Typical range of power consumption (wattage)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average price of electricity to ultimate customers, residential, June 2026 Figures transcribed from republications of this table on September 26, 2026; pending direct verification from the EIA API.
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.